Tauriell stares at the nothing, where Abomentolor stood a moment before. "Well, ... Abomentolor and me don't live there anymore. Jimmy and Gwenhwyfar don't have a place of their own yet, but I guess they don't really live in the guesthouse anymore."
"Carl, and the other guy moved to the Orphanage or help with the temple, but Niamh I haven't seen in a while. She might still live there. And I need to check on the whereabouts of Hector. But there is at least one free room there."
"Feel free to take that room, and while you're at it, find out who really still lives in the guest house." Mrs. Heidmarsh tells Koriah.
"You're able to tell me where I'd find you two?" she turns to Tauriell again.
"I'll be at Abomentolor's, formerly known as the Shadowclock." Tauriell replies.
Abomentolor phases back in. "Did I miss something?"
"We're done here. Tauriell, would you please take that gnome and the bird with you, when you leave? Thank you." Mrs. Heidmarsh tells, and gets up, complimenting all out of her office.
'The bird' jumps on Tauriell's shoulder with a flap of her wings.
In a fancy restaurant
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Where are we going to stay this night?" Gwenhwyfar asks out of the blue.
"The weather is still fine, so how about the bridge?"
"That's a nice idea." Gwenhwyfar replies.
Stuffing the last few pieces of fruit into her mouth, she finishes the meal. "Are you going to pay? I still have this big hole in my pouch. We should have asked Lini for an advance payment."
"Sure thing." Jimmy replies with a smile, beckoning a waiter.
He shells out some coin, and collects the bribe they came here for in the first place.
Gwenhwyfar grabs the fruitbasket at the handle, even if it is mostly moral support for Jimmy and 'helps' him carry it to their brick shell on the Irespan. Even though it is only about 1500 feet, that way is dragged out by the weight of the fruits. "Jumping around by magic is much easier." she tells as she strokes a curly strand of hair out of her sweaty face.
Once they reach their target she is surprised. "Looks like Abomentolor worked at it since the last time, we were here." Gwenhwyfar starts going through her memory when that would have been.
"The walls are a bit taller than last time. Still a ways to go though." Jimmy says after taking in the view again.
No matter how many times he says it, it is still somewhat breathtaking.
"And still no window and no roof. I hope it doesn't rain." Gwenhwyfar tells. "We didn't bring the pillows and blankets." she sighs.
"You are welcome to use me as your pillow and bed for the night. " He says putting the basket down, "I am sorry I forgot the blankets. If you would like I can rush back down and find us some."
"I'm fine using you to keep me warm." Gwenhwyfar tells and snuggles up to Jimmy.
"Then I am glad I forgot the blankets."
Tauriell does as told and takes Abometolor and Shaylin with her, as she leaves the office. "I could use a bed." she tells and moves on to Underbridge, the Shadowclock and her bedroom.
Where she doesn't sleep too well. Being turned into stone gives you dreams that are not nice.
The view from Tauriell's bedroom and the one from Gwenhwyfar and Jimmy's house isn't that different. A beautiful sunset paints the sky in yellow, orange and purple, with the clouds in addition in white and dark blue-gray. Until the sun finally sinks into the sea, taking all the colors with her and leaving behind a stunning night sky with the thin crescent of the moon shining between some clouds and some stars showing here and there.
And for those looking long enough a shooting star, or two cross the sky.
Gwenhwyfar lies at Jimmy's chest watching the beautiful sky go from explosion of colors to dark night. "See, one wish for you and one for me." she tells with a smile. Finally she nods off.
"Mine has come true already." Jimmy whispers, kissing the top of her head as she dozes off.
He lies awake for a while longer, watching her, before drifting off himself.
s the sun comes up on the other side of the irespan the town is awake already. The chatter and noise from the Bazaar of Sails, mixed with the screeching of the seagulls wakes all who slept in.
For the morning sun, the view from on top of the irespan and from the Shadow Clock is completely different. While one can see the sun's reflections sparkling on the sea from above, the Shadow Clock is in the shadows. Like day will not win over night, no matter how much it struggles. And as the sun rises further, it only becomes worse.
"Good morning my dear." Jimmy says stretching under Gwen
"Good morning." Gwenhwyfar smiles at Jimmy.
Out of Gwenhwyfar's backpack crawls Destinée and demands attention.
Gwenhwyfar picks up the cat and strokes her fur. "Yes, I know."
Turning to Jimmy she tells "It's someone else's quality time now."
"Of course dear." Jimmy says with a smile as he lays back and enjoys the sun slowly starting to warm up, being next to Gwen.
Gwenhwyfar gives Jimmy a smile and then sits down to prepare for the day together with Destinée. Warmed by the rays of the sun she sits there with the cat, they both staring each other in the eyes.
Totally zoned out she sits there cross legged for an hour.
"So now it's off down to the Lady's Light." Jimmy says stirring as Gwen is finishing.
"Ok, grab the fruit basket." Gwenhwyfar tells and holds on to Jimmy once he got it. Speaking a word, Magnimar disappears out of sight and the typical vegetation of the Mushfens appear as Gwenhwyfar and Jimmy appear on the bridge leading to Maroux' island.
The bridge leading to Maroux’s isle is still decorated with bleached humanoid skulls with weird sigils painted on them in crusty, reddish-brown dried blood.
Maroux’s hut sits at the center of the small island, a mossy wooden shack with a sagging roof sitting in the shade of a few moss-draped willows. A plume of smoke wafts from a chimney, and cooking smells pervade the area, though the odor is not altogether pleasant.
Jimmy takes Gwen's hand, and the basket in his other and walks with her across the bridge towards the hut. Pausing on the doorstep he looks at her before knocking, to make sure she is ready.
Maroux opens the door, with a grumpy look like always.
On her shoulder sits Hosco the raven. "It's the witch. It's the witch." Hosco caws.
"You forgot something the last time? Or are you done with life and want to become stew?" Maroux inquires.
Gwenhwyfar ponders if she should simply charm her instead, but if that fails there would be no chance at all. "We guessed, that you lack good food out here, so we brought some fruit for you to eat, or put into the stew."
Maroux' narrows her eyes to slits. "What do you want?"
Gwenhwyfar is not used to this kind of conversation and is unsure how to approach the woman.
Narrowing her eyes too she stares at Maroux trying to be intimidating and replies. "I need better spells to kill people. I want your bird to teach my cat."
the witch laughs out loud the shaking of her body forcing Hosco to flap off her shoulder to sit on a crude shelf made of sticks.
"No one takes me seriously. Jimmy, do something." Gwenhwyfar demands.
"I think what Gwen was trying to say is that we wpuld be very appreciative if you wpuld help us. We brought this as a token of good faith. We are encountering more powerful foes at every turn and Gwen thought your experience would be helpful to her." Jimmy says trying to be diplomatic.
"Why? I can kill boggards and troglodytes. She doesn't need help with that, as you obviously killed all the boggards here and transformed the troglodytes into a tribe of sun worshiping hippies." Maroux hollers back at Jimmy ignoring Gwenhwyfar.
"Gimme that 'token of good faith'" she demands and takes the heavy basket with one hand. Not all witches are slender.
"Getting spells has a price that is not paid in food. You have to offer spells in return. What do you have?"
"Gwen?" Jimmy turns to ask her
"Well, I can heal diseases, curses, wounds, ability damage. I can create mist, lightning, I magically jump around town and over the world. I can blind, deafen, or dumb people. I can also make everyone with a mind act nice to me" she adds with giving Maroux that look. "or even control humanoids. I can become as strong a Jimmy, not that this helps any, and I can summon powerful allies." Gwenhwyfar tells from the top of her head the spells she knows.
Jimmy shuffles uncomfortably for a moment and then says "I don't practice spells, but I can make some magical stuff happen if I try."
Maroux listens interested but stays suspicious. "A mighty witch you are if that is true." she comments, the disbelief clearly showing. But also curiosity.
After a long pause she demands "Show me!"
Gwenhwyfar looks at Jimmy for help. I'm sure she doesn't want to be healed.
"You want to be charmed, or controlled?" Gwenhwyfar asks before she does somethign wrong.
"No! I want to see your powerful ally!" Maroux snorts.
"Oh... that's exciting! I've never seen them myself." Gwenhwyfar jumps a little clapping her hands.
She searches her spell component pouch for a small bag and a tiny candle. With a large gesture and a magic incantation which is rather long compared to her other spells she calls for aid.
Maroiux' hut is built to comfort one person. With Gwenhwyfar and Jimmy in it's already getting cramped. Maroux is serious about wanting to be alone. But with the creature that appears out of nowhere it gets uncomfortably tight.
A large creature, the lower half like a giant snake, the upper half like an elven woman, with feathered wings like an angel appears in the midst of the group. As the woman realizes, it's no combat situation she is called to she relaxes and asks "How can I be of service?"
"That's rather... how'd you... wow..." Jimmy says jaw flapping
Gwenhwyfar's eyes are shining like stars with joy. "I don't know, maybe drink tea with us? But you only have a short time here, don't you?" the words spout out of her.
"I try to persuade..." she pauses, as she realizes that she doesn't know the name of the half orc woman "... this woman to exchange spells with me and she wanted proof that I'm not lying about the spells I can cast."
The Lillend summons a harp and starts playing on it. It's a wonderful fascinating melody she performs.